Image forming apparatuses include the so-called in-cylinder sheet ejection type composite printer having a scanning section as an image scanning section arranged on a printing section as an image forming section and a sheet ejection/loading space formed between the printing section and the scanning section, for example.
In this image forming apparatus, the scanning section has a generally horizontal upper surface, and an operation panel is arranged on an end portion thereof. When accessing the operation panel, therefore, the user tends to fix his/her eyes on the upper surface of the scanning section provided with the operation panel, and it is difficult for him/her to grasp the states of the remaining portions of the image forming apparatus other than the upper surface of the scanning section. In this case, it may not be possible to improve the operability of the image forming apparatus.